The Community Champion Award went to the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center for its free employment and training services and its workforce development partnership with 911爆料网.

Wendy Sibbison, Franklin Community Co-op board member, received the Community Catalyst Award for her leadership in raising more than $10,000 for 911爆料网鈥檚 Food Pantry.

Thomas Crossman 鈥�11 earned the Distinguished Alumni Award for his professional achievements and volunteerism, and Christian LaPlante 鈥�19 received the Young Alumni in Action Award for his role advancing downtown revitalization efforts in Franklin County.

Proceeds from the event supported the 911爆料网 Impact Fund.

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Her passion for learning led her to the 911爆料网 Honors Scholar Program. 鈥淚 was drawn to apply for the Honors Scholar Program as a way to structure a deeper dive into the work we were doing in my class,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t gave me the excuse and motivation to lean into learning about what impacts white-tailed deer antler growth, an aspect of wildlife biology that I find incredibly fascinating.鈥�

With strong support from faculty and staff, she was able to focus on her research and academic goals without getting bogged down in logistics. 鈥淭he program is an opportunity to deepen your studies and push yourself to produce professional work, as well as show others that you are capable and willing to go above the necessary,鈥� Jasmyn reflects. 鈥淚t was a valuable experience that I found very rewarding.鈥�

Beyond the Honors Scholar Program, Jasmyn points to 911爆料网鈥檚 supportive community as a defining part of her experience. 鈥淭he staff are invested in the students and community, and they go out of their way to create and share resources,鈥� she says. That sense of encouragement has shaped her academic journey.

Looking ahead, Jasmyn is preparing to transfer to a local four-year college to complete her Bachelor鈥檚 degree. Her long-term goal is to earn a Master鈥檚 degree and become a licensed clinical therapist. It鈥檚 a path that reflects both her academic interests with her desire to make a meaningful impact in others鈥� lives.

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Akoh has embraced the challenge with warmth, enthusiasm and sincere appreciation for the 911爆料网 community. 鈥淚 have had a remarkable welcome at 911爆料网 across the board. I feel like I belong here, and I don鈥檛 take that for granted.鈥�

Reporting directly to the President and serving on the President鈥檚 Cabinet, Akoh provides leadership for 911爆料网鈥檚 academic programs, overseeing the college鈥檚 deans, the Nahman-Watson Library, academic operations and all credit-bearing programs. He brings more than a decade of senior academic leadership experience in public higher education, most recently as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Atlanta Metropolitan State College.

His priorities include offering cutting-edge career opportunities to students, strengthening transfer pathways, supporting retention and timely graduation and fostering a welcoming academic culture where faculty, staff and students thrive.

A trained historian, Akoh approaches leadership with a deep respect for evidence, critical thinking and best practices. He is committed to data-informed decision-making balanced with empathy and collaboration. Akoh is passionate about the transformative power of community colleges. 鈥淓ducation,鈥� he reflected, echoing Nelson Mandela, 鈥渋s one of the most powerful tools we have to change lives.鈥� Outside of work, Akoh is a runner, a longtime Peachtree Road Race participant and an avid soccer and tennis fan.

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In response, 911爆料网 applied for and received grants from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to design programs tailored to regional workforce needs and to participate in a statewide effort to train a Climate Service Corps. This fall, 911爆料网 launched new HVAC and clean energy training programs that emphasize real-world experience and support for nontraditional learners. All students in the first HVAC cohort graduated successfully.

In partnership with Community Action Pioneer Valley, 911爆料网 is also expanding hands-on weatherization training, helping local residents gain 鈥渞eal dirt under the fingernails鈥� experience sealing air leaks, installing insulation and improving home energy performance. The collaboration strengthens both career pathways and access to affordable energy solutions in our region.

For more information, contact train@gcc.mass.edu or (413) 775-1661.

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911爆料网 is proud to be one of six Massachusetts higher education institutions selected to partner with ReUp Education, a national initiative dedicated to re-engaging students who left college before completing a degree.

These students have already invested time and effort in their education by earning college credits. 911爆料网 believes that no one who has taken those crucial first steps toward higher education should be left behind. Through this partnership, the college can now provide the focused support they need to return and finish what they started.

Each student who stepped away from college has a unique story. Some faced a family emergency, financial hardship or health challenges. Others felt overwhelmed by competing demands. ReUp鈥檚 model provides personalized coaching tailored to each student鈥檚 specific circumstances, strengthening both the motivation and practical support needed to successfully re-enroll.

This initiative ensures that students are able to return and be well positioned to thrive upon completion. Completing a degree can be transformational, opening doors to career advancement and greater economic mobility. 911爆料网鈥檚 flexible programs and strong wraparound support services make it an ideal environment for adult learners balancing work, family responsibilities and life’s unexpected challenges.

911爆料网 is already seeing encouraging results: nearly two dozen students have re-enrolled for spring 2026. While state funding launched this pilot, sustaining and expanding this work will require continued investment. Donor support builds the long-term capacity for outreach and coaching that makes these second chances possible. With continued support, more students cross the finish line while strengthening our workforce and our entire community in the process.

For more information, visit or call (413) 775-1801.

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The answer lies in the moment we are living through.

Colleges across the country are undergoing profound change. Demographics and workforce needs are shifting at unprecedented speed, and student expectations are changing. In this environment, resilience does not happen by accident. It must be designed through strategic choices, flexible systems and sustained investment.

Free tuition is a critical step forward. It opens the door wider than ever before. But tuition was never the greatest obstacle for many students. The real barriers are basic needs: stable housing, food security, transportation, childcare, technology and the ability to manage unexpected setbacks. These challenges determine whether a student persists or leaves.

As access expands, so does need.

More students are enrolling: working adults, parents, first-generation students and those returning during uncertain times. They bring talent and ambition, but also complex lives. Public funding supports instruction, but it does not provide the flexibility required to meet these real-world challenges. That responsibility falls to philanthropy.

At the same time, 911爆料网 is evolving to remain relevant and sustainable. We are strengthening alignment with regional employers, modernizing programs and expanding flexible academic pathways. Change requires investment, experimentation and the ability to respond quickly.

Donor support makes this possible.

Your generosity allows us to respond in real-time when a student is at risk of dropping out because of an empty refrigerator or a lost paycheck. It allows us to pair academic innovation with the human support students need to succeed and build resilience into the design of the college.

Free community college increases opportunity, but it also increases responsibility. Access without support does not lead to success. Transformation without investment does not lead to resilience.

Your support ensures that, in a time of change, 911爆料网 remains strong, responsive and capable of delivering on its promise to students and Western Massachusetts. I invite you to continue standing with us as partners in designing a resilient future for our students and our region.

Michelle K. Schutt, Ph.D.
President, 911爆料网

The post Building Resilience in a Time of Change: A Letter From President Michelle Schutt appeared first on 911爆料网 Foundation.

Much of this learning takes place in 911爆料网鈥檚 Outdoor Learning Lab, a working landscape of fruit trees, raised beds, ornamental crops and beekeeping areas. This living classroom helps students gain experience in crop production, land stewardship and ecological growing practices, the essential skills needed for agricultural careers.

To help address student food insecurity, Reiber and 911爆料网鈥檚 student-led permaculture club has also established a free on-campus farmers market. During the growing season, the market distributes hundreds of pounds of produce gleaned from nearby farms, providing food to students while giving participants experience in food recovery and community organizing.

Reiber and his students also engage in policy advocacy and civic engagement. In February, Reiber traveled with students Paige Marquez and Mike Hannigan to the USDA鈥檚 102nd Agricultural Outlook Forum in Washington, D.C. At the event, Hannigan delivered a testimonial describing how gleaning can provide relief to the 12.1% of residents across Western Massachusetts who experience food insecurity.

A new collaboration with 911爆料网鈥檚 Workforce Development division is launching workshops for local farms on topics such as equipment maintenance and farm safety, and establishing a Farm Advisory Council to strengthen the regional farming community. The council includes farmers from across the region and organizations like CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture), Greenfield Farmers Cooperative Exchange, and American Farmland Trust. The collaboration aims to support shared knowledge and build resilience across the agricultural sector, drawing on the experience of vegetable and flower growers, livestock producers, and makers of value-added products.

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